Whigham GW-5


The Whigham GW-5 is an American mid-wing, single seat, FAI Standard Class glider that was designed and constructed by Gene Whigham, a retired flight test engineer for Convair.

Design and development

The GW-5 was designed for the standard class and as such it features a constant-chord wing with a Wortmann FX 61-184 airfoil and flaps for glidepath control.
The GW-5 is of all-metal construction. The landing gear is a faired fixed monowheel. The aircraft has a bubble canopy and a conventional low tail.
One GW-5 was built. It was completed in 1980 and registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the Experimental - Amateur-built category.

Operational history

The sole GW-5 built was sold in September 2012 and the registration has expired. It is not known if the aircraft still exists or not.

Specifications (GW-5)